Breath of Fire
by freakyanimegal
Summary: Upon getting separated from his father and Colette on their exsphere hunt,Lloyd stumbles upon a rather odd spectacle. A large cavern containing heaps of treasure. If that wasn't odd enough in itself, there was the strange effect it seemed to have on him. Despite intruding on a dragon's den, he found his own behavior becoming rather inhuman as well...
1. Chapter 1

**I suppose you're all wondering where I've been. Bluntly, I had no ideas or motivation and found I couldn't bring myself to even care enough to write anything. I seriously stared at the chapter for 'Ensnared' for an hour and had NOTHING. Have not found myself with the capacity to even give a single *beep*. I had this chapter done but was threatened- er, 'convinced' not to post it yet by a certain someone that shall not be named (Symphoniafancough). But given I cannot bring myself to care about fanfiction anymore, I figured I might as well do what I DO feel like doing. This is just what she gets for leaving me alone. **

**So you all enjoy this, I have to run for my life because she's going to kill me.**

**C'ya **

**(Runs)**

**Disclaimer: own nothing**

It was hot.

A lake of fire, searing up through the earth, burning, rising toward him, yet he couldn't move. His body wouldn't respond and the fire engulfed him, burning at him, yet he wouldn't burn away, he wouldn't melt, just stood there and felt the heat sear.

It hurt, but not nearly as much as it should have. It burned, seared, tore, but it never became painful enough to even lose his strength to stand.

There was a sound; he wasn't quite sure what it was. It reminded him of…whales, on one of their trips across the sea they had run into some of the creatures. Their songs, deep, haunting, slow, beautiful, it sounded like that, but…and added…something…rougher, stronger, almost like a roar- a howl? A screech…if a screech could be beautiful…

Whatever it was, it was entrancing. It seemed to dim the heat, the pain had all but vanished. Still he felt the fire sear, yet somehow he could do so without feeling any damage done to his body. His clothes remained intact, his body remained whole. Still all he could focus on was that sound, the sound and the searing fire around his body-

His eyes snapped open.

Lloyd groaned, sitting upright and shaking his head, sighing deeply. Groggily he scanned the camp, noting Noishe curled up by his side, Colette curled in her sleeping bag and-

"You're up again."

The teen turned, meeting the russet eyes of his father, who had walked over from the edge of the camp. It had been only a couple days since the reunification of the world. It seemed so long ago already, however… Kratos had been going to leave on Derris-Kharlan, but due to Lloyd's urging had finally conceded to spending two weeks with his son on his exsphere-hunt before leaving. Two weeks wasn't a lot, he knew, but…he was glad to have it anyway…

"Yeah…" Lloyd sighed, looking at the ground. "Just…can't sleep well."

"That's the third time tonight that you've woken, are you having difficulty feeling tired? It could be your body adjusting to your angelic evolution…"

"No, I fall asleep fine," he said, looking at his father. "Just-…weird dreams lately."

He barely uttered the last part, frowning as he lost himself to the images again, to the sound of that call…

"Lloyd." Kratos' voice shook him from his thoughts. "Are you certain you're all right?"

"Yeah, Dad, sorry…I'm fine," he replied with a weak smile. "I'll just go back to sleep now-…are you sure you don't want a break from nightwatch?"

"I don't have to sleep."

"Well none of us do, but I can still give you a break if you want."

Kratos looked down at him before shaking his head.

"No, you go ahead and rest. I don't mind."

Before Lloyd could say anything more the man had turned, walking away from him. However, the Seraph had only gotten a few feet before he stopped.

"Lloyd."

"Yeah?"

"Are you cold?"

"Huh? What, no, why-?"

"You're shaking."

Lloyd blinked before turning his attention to his arms, which were in fact, shaking. He frowned, wrapping his arms around his chest. His entire body was shaking- but he didn't feel cold. So- was it the exsphere? Was it that he couldn't feel the cold even though he was -? Wait, no, it didn't work like that…did it?

Kratos had walked back over, grabbing his arm. Lloyd flinched a second then looked to see Kratos pulling up his sleeve. The man's hand touched his bare arm and he frowned.

"Is- is my skin cold?" Lloyd frowned, shifting awkwardly.

"…No," Kratos said simply, pulling his sleeve back down. "Perhaps it is a result of stress, you've been through a lot lately. Rest, and make sure you keep warm."

Lloyd frowned. Something didn't make sense here, but before he could ask Kratos, his father had already gone back to his post as the nightwatch. What was with him? Was he really just stressed? Why was he shaking? He didn't feel cold….well it was a little cool, but not cold. Still- ...agh, whatever, he was just tired probably. It was weird but he'd think about it in the morning…

If he didn't wake up again…

He didn't feel much different the following morning, though he didn't feel 'bad' at all. They were traveling on foot through a mountain range near the valley of the LInkite Tree, searching for some mine that had been rumored to be a site for exspheres. It'd be bad if someone found them and tried to excavate them, like they had with the Toize mines in Tethe'alla. Their plan wasn't concrete yet, but if they confirmed the mine they were probably going to enlist Raine or one of the other's help in collapsing it so no one could find them.

However, as of then they hadn't found anything for their efforts. That and they were already a decent ways through the mountains by the time the dark clouds began to roll in.

"It's going to storm, we should find shelter," Kratos said, eying the sky. "And I doubt it would be wise to attempt to fly, with or without the rheairds."

"Yeah, let's settle down then." Lloyd nodded.

He didn't pay it much mind, as they settled down into camp in a nearby cave, didn't really notice how much warmer it was, it wasn't really damp either. Then again, Kratos and Colette didn't seem to think it was hot either, but he had to remind himself that he wasn't affected by heat as much anymore, like them.

"It's dark toward the back," Colette said after a bit. "I can't see all the way to the wall…"

"It's likely a cavern," Kratos said as he piled wood onto the fire to cook their meal. "This area has a vast system of tunnels and the like, as well as volcanic activity."

"Wait, you mean it goes into the mountain?" Lloyd asked, looking toward the dark end. "Should we check it out? There might be some monsters down there-"

"Unlikely, if there is anything living in here it will be much further down. We'll keep an eye out of course, but anything that lives down there in all likelihood will not stray up this far."

Lloyd frowned a bit but nodded, turning back to their camp.

Still…there was…something weird about this place. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about it gave him goosebumps. As if….no, it wasn't like being watched, rather it was more as if something was…drawing him. He kept glancing down the tunnel frowning. It felt like there was a breeze of sorts, however faint, coming from down the tunnel. It was warm, as if some massive animal was breathing softly. He shook his head, turning back to what he had been doing. His imagination was running away with him.

However, as it slipped into night the storm began to rage outside, water cascading down like a waterfall, the loud blast of thunder echoing through their shelter. Needless to say, it woke them all up, especially when water began to seep into the mouth of the cave.

"Aw hell," Lloyd said with a groan. "We're gonna have to move back down the tunnel some more."

"Indeed, let's quickly pack up, but be careful."

"Yes Kratos, we know," Colette said with a smile.

Lloyd had already gotten up, and was working on rolling up his bedroll when suddenly, they heard it. A distinct rumbling from directly over head, and-

If it hadn't been for his quick reflexes and his newly enhanced ears, it would've been likely that he would've been squashed. The cave had collapsed in, Lloyd jumping backwards further into the tunnel as the light from their faint fire was blocked from his vision, as was the entire entrance. He was trapped on the other side.

"G- Guys!" he called, then stepped back further, wary of the unstable roof.

"We're all right, Lloyd!" Colette called. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"N- No, I'm fine," he said.

He scanned the rubble before him, it would've been impossible to see in this darkness if not for his angelic sight, but from what he saw it still looked like he was sealed in pretty good.

"Should I try to move the rocks-?"

"No," Kratos' voice came. "You'll risk the entire tunnel caving in on you. Listen, if you're all right, try to find another exit. As I've mentioned there's an entire network down here, you should be able to find another way out."

Lloyd fidgeted, glancing at the fallen rocks then down the dark tunnel. It was even warmer now that the rocks had blocked off the path outside, he was already starting to sweat a bit. Still, he probably didn't want to cause this entire thing to collapse, and staying here wasn't likely to help him in any way.

"Lloyd, do you have your swords?" Kratos asked.

Lloyd blinked, scanning the floor of the cave on his side, sighing in relief when he spotted the blades.

"Yeah, I've got'em," he replied, quickly attaching them to his belt.

From the looks of it, though, that was all he had. His jacket and even his boots were on the other side, as well as all the supplies. Still, he'd manage, it wasn't like he had a choice.

"Be careful, Lloyd," Kratos said. "Try to look where you step, and keep an ear out for any creatures."

"All right, I'll be fine," he called back, looking toward the dark tunnel with a frown. "Don't' worry about me, I'll try to meet you at another exit."

"Be careful!" Colette called, her voice wrought with concern.

Lloyd hesitated a bit, looking at the wall one last time before back down the tunnel. Great, this was going to be a pain in the ass. If he'd been a normal human he was sure he'd be screwed if he ran into any monsters in here, or even any drop offs. Still, if worse came to worse and he couldn't go any further, he would just have to come back here and try to move the rocks again. The tunnel might collapse, sure, but that 'might' was a better chance than staying in here and starving to death….

So he headed off, slowly, straining his eyes against the darkness and his ears against the silence. His bare feet scrapped against the rocky surface, but so far it wasn't that bad, just annoying, not painful; the thing that was bothering him, though, was the heat. It was getting hotter and hotter the further down the tunnel he went, and he was beginning to feel his hair paste to his skin. Kratos had mentioned there were volcanoes in this area, hadn't he? Damn, just great, now he could add incineration to the list. Maybe he should turn around-

That's when he heard it.

A sound, low, soft, echoing through the tunnels, something so familiar and yet- where had he heard it? It sounded like- like….

He closed his eyes, trying to remember. Where had he heard this? From…from….

The dreams.

His eyes snapped open, staring into the darkness.

Yes, from the dreams. It was the same sound that sang to him in the dreams about the fire, about burning…the sound that…soothed it, that made the heat almost….nice.

Somehow, any doubts or hesitation he had was pushed to the back of his mind. He continued down the tunnel, the sound echoing off the walls, in his head, drawing him toward its source. It only continued to become hotter, his black shirt sticking to his chest. Still, he couldn't turn back. Something…he just…he couldn't explain it. He had to get to it, he had to find out what it was, he had to find out what had been calling him, calling him since the tree had sprouted, since he became aware of mana…

He wasn't sure how long it had been, when the tunnel finally opened out into a large cavern, a red glow illuminating it. It didn't take him long to realize the glow was from a large pool of magma in the chamber, churning heat into the dry air. Still, there was in fact something more interesting in the cavern.

That was, namely, a small mountain of gold.

Lloyd stared at it, stunned. A huge heap of gold coins and various other treasures were hoarded up in the chamber, the red light from the magma gleaming off their surfaces, making them appear to 'shimmer', like fish swimming close to the surface in strong sunlight. What the hell was all this doing in here? Where was he? And- that sound, where was it coming from? It sounded like it should be right there, right in the chamber.

Slowly he crept in, looking around, his eyes drifting back to the gold. The sound was everywhere, but there was nothing there. Just the lake of fire and the heaps of metal, so where was it coming from? Why-

"Ugh…" he staggered a bit, bringing a hand to his head, his eyes shut tightly.

He felt…weird, tired, dizzy…he was probably dehydrated, he told himself. Dammit, this was stupid! He shouldn't have come down this far, he should've just tried to go back the other way! This…this…

The teen twitched, opening his eyes slowly, the gold gleaming in the red light. His fingers twitched. Something…somehow…that looked so…appealing. It puzzled him, he'd never really been one to obsess over wealth, and usually all the fancy gems and the like he'd seen here and there were just…pretty stones. He would admire them a bit, but they really weren't that big of a deal, he didn't care too much for the monetary value. So…so why was it suddenly, this heap was so inviting? Wait…inviting? Yeah…it wasn't….greed, he didn't 'want' it- wait, yes he did- did he?

Before he could ponder it further he swayed, staggering forward, breathing hard. He was so tired, exhausted, he didn't think he could take another ten steps much less go back up the tunnel. Then there was still that sound- that sound! That…song….that…lullaby…

Maybe he should just lay down, yeah…just for a minute, to get his wits about him. But the stone underfoot was…gritty, and…rough. But where else was there to-…

Lloyd's brown eyes flicked up, the red glow staining a crimson gleam in his irises, though they were focus more on the gold. Smooth…pretty….

He didn't know what possessed him, but suddenly he couldn't stay away. The teen made his way to the heap, climbing on top of it. It was pushed down, indented, like the bedding of a deer in the grass, as if something had curled up on it, like a bed. Though a …bed sounded…nice…

He collapsed down onto it.

He breathed deeply, eyes closed, laying on his back. Every breath he took seemed to newly alert him to the heat, to the sweat breaking on his skin. Still, despite that, it felt...nice. He could feel the gold coins under him, scalding hot from the already hot temperatures in the cavern. They burned, hissing against his flesh like a skillet frying eggs, yet it didn't hurt.

It felt like...when he would get muscle cramps, and he'd put a pack of hot water on it. It was hot, but the warmth was soothing, it eased out the tension in his body, relaxed his muscles. It was particularly hot on his bare arms, as his under-shirt shielded his skin from the heat to an extent. He frowned a bit, rolling onto his side, curling up as his body sank into the coins.

It was hardly a fitting bed, it should have been uncomfortable. The sizzling heat, the hard surfaces, all the edges and uneven surfaces. So why then, was he so comfortable? Why then did he just want to curl up and go to sleep, to take a nice, long nap...

He could stay there forever, it felt like, just curl up into a little ball, sink into the burning metal and just lose himself to the comfort-

A loud crunch accompanied by the clanking of metal on metal met his ears and his eyes snapped open. Quickly he sat up, looking toward the noise, then gaped upwards, feeling the color bleed from his face. The enormous dragon looked down at him, releasing a short puff of smoke from its nostrils. It was clearly not happy.

So what force in hell made him hiss at it like some infuriated serpent?

**Oh Lloyd, how I love messing with your little mind x3**

**What'd ya think? ;)**

**Now if you'll excuse me, I have to run for my life (runs from Symphoniafan)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hewo! Shorter chapter this time, but I hope you likes**

**Disclaimer: I own nohting**

He was dead meat.

The dragon growled down at him, baring teeth as long as his arm. Green scales were plated even around its eyes, which were bright yellow, and Lloyd was quite certain even if it wasn't for the red glow from the magma they would've been on fire with rage. Its massive wings flared a bit behind it, and Lloyd quickly realized this thing was in a whole other league than the dragons he'd seen on his journey. For one, it was planted squarely on all fours, its feet large, giant claws digging into the gold heap under its forefeet. It had a long sinuous neck, an impressive array of horns, but Lloyd was a bit more focused on the huge, very sharp, teeth.

Why the hell did he just hiss at this thing? What was wrong with him, was he going nuts? That- that sound, he didn't even hear it anymore- what was going on? There was no way he could fight something like this on his own, not as spent as he was. He scrambled back as the huge snout neared closer to him, growling. His heart was pounding in his ears and had he not already been sweating, he probably would've broken out in perspiration again.

Quite suddenly, it snapped at him. Finding renewed energy he scrambled to his feet, racing out of its way, his feet burning along the hot metal. The dragon shrieked, the entire cave beginning to rumble with its vibration. Lloyd raced for the tunnel, only to find its massive scaly tail had slammed down in front of it, blocking his way. He doubled back again, desperately trying to find an escape-

Then did.

His eyes widened, spotting the huge hole halfway up the massive cavern wall. He hadn't noticed it before, since it was partially a tunnel itself, from the angle he'd been laying down all he had seen was rock. It must've been how the dragon had come in.

Quickly he released his wings, zipping up for the hole and rushing out into the cool night air. He nearly staggered in his flight at the sudden chill, but seeing as the beast had a set of wings of its own, he didn't have much time to linger on it.

Lloyd zipped off as fast as he could, but soon came to the realization that the dragon was faster in the air than he was. Panicking, Lloyd scanned the dark forest below him, he didn't recognize the area, where he'd entered had been barren, but he knew he'd have a better chance trying to lose it in the trees. It was big, so it would have a hard time chasing after him, that and his glowing wings were definitely a give-a-way in the darkness.

He quickly zipped down, dismissing his wings and running through the trees. Despite not hearing the dragon land behind him, he continued to run, not willing to take the chance. He managed to get a fair distance…

Until he reached a gap in the trees, and the dragon slammed down before him, tail sliding behind him to block his retreat. Lloyd choked, half going to release his wings again, but flinched when the jaws came for him-

Then quite suddenly the gaping maw was intercepted by a tall figure, whom was illuminated when his blue wings flashed into existence in the darkness.

"D- Dad-!" Lloyd gasped.

"_Alkali!"_ Kratos shouted.

Lloyd froze, staring as the dragon closed his mouth, wondering what his father had just said to it. What language was that even? It didn't sound like the angelic language at all…

Whatever he had said, the dragon drew back a bit, jaw closed, though it was obvious from the puffs of smoke from its nostrils that it wasn't deterred yet. It huffed, embers sparking in the plumes it made while its yellow eyes bore down on them. Kratos glanced back at him over his shoulder quickly, then back at the dragon. The Seraph quickly searched his pack, pulling out a handful of gald, the gold coins, Lloyd noticed.

Kratos held them out to the dragon which titled its head, lowering its head to one side so its massive eye could take in the little handful of gold. The beast eyed Kratos, and for a second it looked back at Lloyd, meeting his gaze. Lloyd stiffened, frozen in his tracks, but the dragon let out a strange snorting sound. The beast drew back its head and set its forefoot forward in front of them. Kratos stepped forward and Lloyd fidgeted, trying to see what he was doing. The elder swordsman had apparently placed the gold in what looked like the webbing of the dragons toes- like a pouch of sorts, he realized. His father backed up after placing the gold and the dragon snorted, closing its toes and thus the 'pouch', then quite abruptly shot up into the night sky, flying back toward its cave.

"D-" Lloyd began.

Kratos whipped around, grabbing Lloyd by the shoulders and scanning him intently.

"What happened?" he demanded, scanning Lloyd in the light of his wings. "Are you hurt- …you're burning up."

"I-"

"Colette is nearby," he said flatly, ignoring him. "Hurry up, we'll get you some water-"

"I- ow!" Lloyd hissed.

Now that he wasn't in immediate peril for his life, he was aware of his burnt feet on the twig strewn ground. Kratos stopped, frowning.

"Sit down."

"Huh-?" Lloyd started.

"Sit down," Kratos said again, pushing Lloyd down onto the ground.

Lloyd flinched a bit at the abruptness of his father's action but sat still, wincing as Kratos began tending to his scorched feet with a mix of healing artes and basic first aid.

"What happened?" Kratos demanded as he tended to him.

Lloyd shook a bit, a suddenly chill running through his body. It was cold out here, really cold, especially compared to that hot cave- that nice, warm cave…

"Lloyd, I asked you a question," Kratos snapped, his eyes narrowed intently.

The teen flinched and went to answer when his body shuddered again; he hugged himself, shivering, feeling his teeth begin to clatter. What the hell? Why was it so cold out here all of a sudden? He was freezing! It couldn't be that cold out here- what the hell was happening?

He heard Kratos call his name again, this time with more concern than urgency to his voice. Lloyd tried to speak again but suddenly the world was spinning. It felt as if he had gotten caught in a violent windstorm, with each gale slicing him with unbearable cold. He huddled up a bit, shivering. He closed his eyes for but a second, then felt himself fall to the side, and everything blacked out.

For a while he didn't 'dream' persay…it was an odd sensation, of being awake but unaware at the same time, even though some part of him knew he was 'asleep'…or unconscious? He wasn't quite sure, but slowly, surely he became aware. Aware of one thing only, at first: cold. He was cold, freezing, his body shaking violently. Every second felt like every inch of his skin was being penetrated by needles of ice, melting ice water into his veins, freezing him to his very core. Slowly but surely he became aware of his arms crossed around him, hugging his knees to his chest, his fingers gripping into his arms.

Eventually he managed to pry his eyes open, choking as he processed what he saw. Ice, ice, ice, he was in a field-a world, of nothing but ice. The skies were gray, freezing rain was pelting his body, it felt so cold he could swear it hissed as it hit his skin. He tried to look around, but the relentless cold wouldn't allow his muscles to move properly. His breathes were shallow, rapid, and for a moment he was quite certain his lungs would freeze then-

He gave what could best be described as a 'cough', though in reality it probably was more akin to some animal hacking something out of its throat. The harsh movement burned up his throat, spitting out- a flame.

Lloyd's eyes widened, and as if to give him a better look, the flame did not dissipate but hovered in front of him, a tiny, fleck of a flame that would barely last atop a candle. It …pulsed, as if it was breathing with him-…it…was, breathing with him. It flared and dimmed in sync with his breathing, rapidly, though gradually slowing. It was tiny, yet the heat it gave off might as well have been a bonfire compared to this chill around him. Though he was stiff he managed to yank his arms away from his body, cradling the tiny flame between his hands. His fingers began to thaw at the wondrous warmth, yet it merely warmed his finger tips.

"Dammit…" he shivered, gritting his teeth in a mix of desperation and frustration. "Come on…"

He whipped his head around, trying to find something, anything, that he could burn. There was nothing, nothing at all. His pulse began to pound in his ears, adrenaline coursing through his system. No, no there had to be something, he wasn't going to die here, he wasn't going to freeze like this!

His eyes shut tightly, listening to his pulse echoing in his head, echoing with-

The song.

Browns eyes snapped open, staring into the tiny flame. It was that song again, the call, the haunting, inhuman serenade. As he looked into the fire his gaze began to entrap him in it, as if drawing him in, drawing him into the pulsing flame as the song grew louder in his head. Out of some sense that he couldn't explain, he began to open his mouth, bringing the flame to his lips. Then, as if no longer in control of his own body, he put his lips to the flame itself.

The flame flared up into a massive pillar of fire, engulfing him. The heat seared against his body, thawing at his stiff and frozen form. Quite suddenly, he was free, and yet the fire did not harm him.

If anything, he felt all the more alive-

His eyes snapped open into reality, staring at the fire burning before him, a campfire, setting on the dark ground. Lloyd blinked once or twice, then tried to move, finding he was all but swaddled in what he could only guess was several blankets. That and he was close to the fire, much to close, if he was any closer he would be at risk of catching fire himself. Yet he didn't feel hot.

If anything, he just felt cold again.

…**.I love thiiiiisss (singsong)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yaaaaay I wrote something *plop***

**Own nothing.**

Lloyd sat, curled into a ball as he clutched the blankets around his shivering form. He was nearly touching the flame and yet he was still freezing. His teeth chattered violently, with such intensity he was nearly sure he was rattling his brain around in his head. Colette kept trying to talk to him distract him from his chill, but he was too cold to pay much attention. Noishe had curled up around him, whining his distress, but Lloyd couldn't even bring himself to pull his hand out of his blanket-cocoon to pet him. It felt like an eternity he sat like that, half-dead to the world around him as he stared into the flames, trying to keep feeling in his toes.

Then the sun rose.

The second the light had touched his face Lloyd flinched, jerking his head up. The glorious light splashed on his face, warming his frozen skin. He was still cold, but he had stopped shivering, and he found himself able to focus on his surroundings once more. Colette was trying to ask if he was all right, Kratos was pressing a hot cloth against his forehead,

"Lloyd," his father said. "How are you feeling?"

"I…" he said slowly, staring dumbly into the dwindling fire, watching the flames curl as the sun warmed his skin. "I..better."

"It'll get warmer soon," Kratos stated. "Now Lloyd, this is very important. You have to tell me what happened. What happened when you were in those caverns?"

He blinked once or twice, looking at his father's frowning face, Colette fidgeting to his other side. Noishe whimpered, nuzzling his head against his arm, but Lloyd ignored him, frowning. What happened? What…

"Lloyd?"

He shook his head, wincing.

"I-…the caverns- the cave, the dragon," he said, frowning. "Yeah, I remember."

"Lloyd, listen to me," Kratos lifted his chin, making him make eye contact. "You need to tell me what happened."

So he did. Lloyd went about recounting his experience, telling them how he had stumbled upon the dragon's lair, how he had been exhausted and had collapsed onto the gold heap, then the resulting chase. He kept out the…stranger, details. How he had found the gold appealing, comfortable, how he had wanted nothing more but to curl up on it and sleep. Nor did he tell them how he had growled back at the dragon.

It didn't make any damn sense, after all.

When he finished, Kratos was frowning, and Colette looked a mix between confused and concerned. Lloyd hesitated a moment but before he could say anything else, Kratos asked Colette if they could speak in private. The blonde angel seemed reluctant but left them alone.

"Was that all, Lloyd?"

"W- What do you mean was that all?"

"Lloyd," Kratos said flatly, eyes locked onto his son's. "Anything else? Anything at all. …This is important, Lloyd, do you hear me? Anything."

He couldn't find it in himself to tell him.

Kratos sighed deeply, frowning as he scanned his son.

"Lloyd, are you sure?"

"Yeah, Dad, that's all that happened- ..wait- how did you make that dragon leave anyway?" he asked, feeling more focused. "You gave it some gold but- how did you talk to it? Dragons can talk? Why was that thing so huge anyway? I didn't think they-"

"That was a true dragon," Kratos interrupted flatly. "True dragons are of that size, and they are easily as intelligent as humans. They tend to keep to themselves, but I know their language enough to get by. I simply offered it some gold as an apology for your…trespassing."

"Wait so…" Lloyd shook his head, frowning. "How come I've never seen any before? We've been all over both of the worlds…"

A wiry smirk cracked Kratos' lips, an odd warm look in his eyes.

"The world is a very big place, Lloyd," he said. "Even in my long life I haven't seen all there is to see on it."

The teen blinked once or twice, a little weirded out by his father's odd moment of…paternal-ness, or whatever the word was, he couldn't think of it- wait what was he going to say? Okay well apparently there were these 'true dragons' and-

"Lloyd, I'm going to ask you one more time," Kratos interrupted his thoughts. "Is that all that happened? There was nothing…strange, that happened, besides the obvious?"

Strange? A cold shiver ran down his spine, for reasons he couldn't quite understand. There was no way he could know, could he? No way he could know about those strange feelings he had- no, no that was- they weren't anything. Just some weird thoughts that had come because of his exhaustion at the time.

"No," he said before he'd even decided he'd answer such. "That was it."

He looked toward the sun, closing his eyes as he felt it warm his skin.

"I- I'm feeling better," he said, smiling weakly. "I'm not cold anymore. Whatever was wrong with me, I'm fine now."

Kratos didn't seem to be convinced; despite that he nodded and did little more than go about tending Noishe while Colette drifted back over. The blonde seemed intent on making sure he was comfortable. Lloyd found himself strangely unable to focus much on what she was saying, though he tried to do his best to nod along and answer her, so as not to make her worry.

At some point he had pushed the blankets off and was sitting there with his black undershirt, the fire before him had long smoldered, but that didn't seem to matter much any longer. He had his head up, eyes closed while he let the sun hit him, soaking into his flesh, so warm…

Suddenly he jerked, shaking his head before he looked around. At some point Colette had left him and she was currently off to the side with Kratos, speaking in hushed, concerned tones. For a brief moment he wondered what they were saying before his cramping body protested to him in the form of aching. Sitting curled up like this all night probably wasn't the best for his muscles he realized then decided to stretch a bit.

He thought, at first, that discarding the blankets would expose him to the inexplicable cold once again. To his surprise, that as not the case at all; as soon as the sunlight hit his bare arms a flush of warmth spread through him, easing the ache in his body. His eyes widened just a moment before closing, feeling the sun on his skin and heating up his black shirt. It was as if he had just slipped into a hotspring, the heat soothing his body right to the bones. He stood, bare-footed as he stretched a bit, eyes closed and face turned toward the sun.

"Lloyd?" Colette's voice came. "Are you feeling better?"

"Hm-? Oh! Yeah." He shook the daze off, turning to look at her. "Yeah, I feel a lot better Colette- I feel pretty good actually."

Colette looked relieved but Kratos frowned. Lloyd didn't find himself paying much mind to either, the warmth from the sun was much more worthy of his interest. His eyes scanned the campsite for something in particular, which his mind didn't seem to know about. Some strange instinct compelled him, before he knew it, to walk over to a large sun-soaked stone on the edge of camp. He placed his hands on it, a searing heat meeting the palms of his hands and seeping up into his body.

It was like the heat of the coins in that cavern, not quite as much, not at all; a frown worked into his face. It wasn't nearly as nice as the metal in that lava pit- oh well, it was still nice, much nicer than sitting on the grass. Without another thought he plopped down on his back on the hot stone, a contented smile on his face as the sun and the stone intensified the heat on his body. He wasn't sure if he fell asleep, it was an odd sensation. He lost awareness of everything, everything except the warmth and the way it filled his body. How long he was like that, he wasn't quite sure, but by the time he awoke, the sun was setting.

It had been the setting of the sun itself that had stirred him to consciousness, as a chill had begun to work through the air. It had caused him to shiver, then not a moment later that shiver had escalated into a shuddering force in his spine. His eyes snapped open and he jerked upright, wrapping his arms around his body. He couldn't stop shivering, it was cold- why was it so cold again? Why-?

A rough hand grabbed his arm, hauling him to his feet.

"Wh- hey- Dad?" he stammered through chattering teeth, staring up at his father.

The Seraph's expression was the usual stoic frown, at first glance anyway. There was something else on his father's face that would've made a chill go down his spine if he hadn't already been freezing.

"Come," he said flatly, jerking Lloyd after him.

"Wh- Dad- where are we going-?" He looked around rapidly. "Where's Colette?"

"I told the Chosen to go to the nearest town," Kratos replied without looking back at him. "We have to take care of this."

"Take- take care of what-?"

Kratos finally looked back at him and met his eyes. Lloyd felt the color drain form his face. It wasn't as if the man didn't have a reputation for being intimidating to begin with, but something in his expression was even more terrifying than usual. It wasn't so much that he was angry at him- though that was probably part of it, but that the man actually looked…afraid, of something.

"I'm taking you back into the caverns before it gets cold. Once we're there we'll talk."

"The- the caverns? Wait- why-?"

He trailed off in mid-question, finding himself oddly dazed again. The caverns, heat, comfortable warmth…

If Kratos responded, he wasn't sure, he only knew that before he had realized it they were in tunnels. How they had gotten there he wasn't even sure, just that they were there, in the rock and heat, that the song was in his head again, calling him, promising him-

"Lloyd."

His eyes suddenly refocused, registering the frown of his father's face. Lloyd blinked once or twice, looking around. They were underground, in those caverns again. It was really hot, and a red glow was coming from down the tunnel, enough that his angelic eyes could see well. However it wasn't sight that dominated his attention.

Heat, glorious heat, searing into his flesh from the stone he sat on and at his back, radiating in the air around him. Down the tunnel, toward the glow, it would be even warmer, even-

Kratos slapped him upside the head.

"Ah-! Ow! Dad, what the hell was that for?" he hissed, glaring at his father.

"You lied to me, Lloyd."

Lloyd froze, his mind drawing a blank.

"I- what?"

"You lied to me. What else happened?" Kratos said flatly, eyes narrowed.

"I- nothing happened! I told you what happened, I told you-"

"Before the dragon came, Lloyd, what happened before that? When you were in the tunnels, when you got to the cave, what happened then?" Kratos said more aggressively.

"I- I don't-"

He felt panicky all of a sudden and quite suddenly became aware of how his skin felt. He felt so dry, flaky, fidgeting under his father's gaze he scratched at his arm, trying to figure out how to answer him.

"Lloyd-"

"I- nothing happened, I just…I told you, I-"

"Lloyd," he said again.

Damn it, why did it itch so much? Why was Kratos looking at him like that? Why- argh! Why was it itching so much-?

"Lloyd! Stop it!"

Kratos had grabbed his wrist, yanking it away from his arm. Lloyd jerked, staring at his father, then at the blood trapped under his finger nails. His eyes widened and darted to the place on his arm where he had, well, skinned himself. Before Lloyd could say anything Kratos was applying healing mana to it, wiping his arm clean with a cloth.

"Oh my- wh-I- I didn't scratch that hard! I-"

Kratos froze, staring at Lloyd's arm.

"Wh- what-?"

The man quickly grabbed the canteen from his pack, dumping water onto the wound. Lloyd choked and let out a hiss of pain, wincing. Dammit, it was so cold!

"Calm down," Kratos said softly, unnervingly so. "It wasn't deep at all, you're not wounded."

"What do you mean I'm not wounded? I cut myself! I didn't even feel it- what's happening to me? What…."

He stared at his arm.

Where the skin had been torn away and the blood washed, a dimly glowing, bright blue-green line was pulsing in his skin. Lloyd managed only to stare a moment, unsure of what exactly he was seeing. Hesitantly he touched the line, wincing a bit as he felt his raw flesh- it was his flesh. What the hell… What was…

Then he heard it again.

The song, echoing in his head, making the world sway around him- or was he swaying? He wasn't sure. He heard it and it consumed him, made him tune out his father, everything…

His eyes closed.

The magma, the lava, the liquid fire…he had to go to it. Every part of his being shouted that he needed to do so. He had to get to the liquid fire, the liquid in his body was on fire, his blood was liquid on fire, the liquid fire was his blood, their blood- Wait- what? What was he…thinking about? It didn't make sense, his own thoughts didn't make any sense, but they were true, they were right. He was just as certain as that as he was that he didn't understand it. He had to go-

"Lloyd, stop!"

At some point he had gotten to his feet, he didn't remember when, he only knew he had to get there, and that Kratos had his arm, he was stopping him. On some instinct he fought, thrashing, tooth and nail against the one that tried to hold him back from his necessity. It was a brief blur, for the Seraph was of course physically stronger, not to mention in his right mind. A swift hit to the back of Lloyd's head with the sheath rendered him unconscious.

He dreamed of the singing, of an endless sea of magma, and felt only his desperate need to get there.

**Oh Lloydie, I do so love you, really I do :P**

**Reviews? **


	4. Chapter 4

**More Lloyd trauma coming your way :P**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing**

He groaned, rubbing his bruised head before he had even sat up.

"Ugh…what the…?"

"Good, you're up."

His opened his eyes, squinting a bit as his eyes adjusted to the red glow of- where was he? He looked around, but didn't have to see it to feel it. They were in a cavern that had a lava pit, the heat radiating throughout his entire being. He went to speak and instead closed his eyes, a shudder shaking his entire body. It felt….oh there were no words to explain how good it felt…

"Lloyd. We need to talk. Now."

Perhaps it was the finality of his tone that managed to catch his attention even through his fogged mind; Lloyd looked at him, blinking once or twice.

"Look at your arms, Lloyd."

The swordsman scanned his father a moment before scanning his arms, his eyes widening. The blue-green 'line' from before was still there...in fact, it had grown into a dendritic marking, curled and snaked around his entire forearm as well as the back of his hand.

"Wh- what the-?" he choked; quickly scanning his other arm to find it was the same. "What- what is this? What-"

"I'm going to cut right to the point, Lloyd," Kratos said, frowning. "There is no stopping it now, so I will tell you what is going to happen. You're turning into a dragon, Lloyd."

Lloyd stared at him. Kratos retained his usual stoic expression and for a moment the only sound was the slow 'rumble' of the magma churning. The dual swordsman went to speak only to find himself bereft of words, closing his mouth only to attempt speech once more.

"What do you mean I'm-?"

"You're easily chilled and instinctively seeking out heat sources," Kratos cut him off, frowning. "And those markings are only further evidence."

"Markings? You mean this stuff on my arms?" He asked, looking at his arms then back at his father. "That- that doesn't make any sense, dragons don't have markings, not even that one that I ran into, that 'true' dragon."

"A true dragon is capable of taking a humanoid form," the Seraph said flatly. "The only visible difference between a dragon in human form and a human are the markings that are currently growing on your body; once they are fully formed they will give off a faint glow due to the high mana concentration. That doesn't matter right now-"

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?" Lloyd shouted, cutting him off. "It does matter! You just told me I'm turning into a dragon- how is that possible? And I don't see how some weird markings are going to make me into some huge fire-breathing lizard!"

"Lloyd, calm down," Kratos instructed calmly, his eyes narrowed. "You won't be able to think rationally if you panic. Calm down, I'm going to help you with this, Lloyd, you'll get through it."

"Calm down? You're not making any sense, that- look people don't just randomly change their species- I mean angels use Cruxis Crystals and that's the only thing I can think of that does that. How can I turn into a dragon, Dad? I ran into one but nothing happened that could turn me into-" He gritted his teeth, frustration biting into him as he tried to figure out what was going on.

Okay, he was right about the weird...heat...needing-ness or whatever that he was going through. That didn't make much sense to him either but he knew it was happening to him, that and these weird marks, but there had to be another explanation for that, right? Maybe he had some weird kind of disease, or...

"Look, that just doesn't make any sense," he said, looking at Kratos.

"Lloyd-"

"I know something's wrong with me but that's- this is nuts," he growled under his breath as he got to his feet, looking around. "I'll go see Professor Sage; maybe she'll know what's wrong with me."

"Lloyd I know this is difficult to believe, but-"

"And how do you know, huh?" Lloyd whipped around, glaring at the Seraph. "Is this just one of the millions of things that you know but never decide to bring up? Fine, if I'm turning into a dragon then tell me how. Well? If you know what it is then tell me how this could be happening."

Kratos had fallen silent, frowning as he surveyed his son. Lloyd crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for an explanation. He didn't believe this but...what reason did Kratos have to lie? Yes he had lied to him and kept stuff from him before, but that had been different. Maybe he was being too harsh; after all, Kratos had to trust him enough by now to tell him the truth, right?

"...Lloyd, how it's happening is not important-"

"That doesn't answer my question!" Lloyd snapped.

Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did he feel so aggressive? He felt tired suddenly, very tired; was it because of that? He was tired and stressed and...and...warm...it was really...warm-

He shook his head violently, forcing himself to focus on Kratos.

"Look if you're not going to tell me the truth then- you know what? This is nuts, I'm getting out of here and finding Colette," he huffed; scanning the chamber for the tunnel entrance he knew must be there.

"Lloyd, you're being irrational, calm yourself and lay down."

"Irrational?" Lloyd scoffed, already heading toward the nearest tunnel he had spotted. "You're the one that's saying stuff about me turning into a big lizard!"

He wanted to get out of here. It was hot, it was warm and it was sapping at his muscles, trying to ease his body into sleep, sleeping curled up in the heat to let it soak to his bones-

No! No, he was getting out of here. It was- it was messing with his head, it was making his body feel strange, he wanted to get as far away from here as possible.

He had picked up the pace and before he registered it, he was running, with Kratos quickly following him. Without his newly attained angelic traits he knew that the ancient man would've caught him easily, but he pushed that thought aside as quickly as he had the strange sensations of the heat.

The tunnel was only dimly illuminated by the magma's glow but it was easy to see this one was far larger than the one that had led him the dragon's den. It was tall and wide, big enough to fit- well, the dragon in it. Momentarily he was seized with a fearful thought that it may in fact be in that tunnel, but his father's call for him pushed him forward.

Then he froze in his tracks as the ground shuddered under him. He choked, eyes darting around at the ground as he realized how cracked and fragile it looked. How- how could the floor be like that? It couldn't possibly be that thin; they were underground, weren't they? Kratos had mentioned earlier that a lot of the tunnels would be unstable but...

"Lloyd, don't move," Kratos voice came from behind him.

He hadn't been planning on it; he could still feel the floor trembling under his feet. There had to be a hole or something under it, maybe another tunnel- maybe a cavern. Maybe he could use his wings and lift himself up just enough to hover over it so it wouldn't give out-

"Lloyd!"

Lloyd jerked his head up just in time to see some boulders breaking loose from the ceiling, one hurling downright toward him. On reflex he jumped to the side, the rock crashing into where he just stood and shattering the fragile ground he stood on. The ground gave out under him and he was falling. Lloyd quickly released his wings, hoping to fly out of the hole and debris.

A large rock crashed into one wing not a moment later and he let out a shout of pain and panic as it quickly plunged him down into the dark pit.

When his eyes flickered open he was staring down at some dark rock right beneath his cheek, colored red but the glow behind him. His body ached but he felt warm, much better than warm actually, he felt hot, felt the lovely heat surging his body, on his body, the liquid engulfing him- …

Wait…

His eyes widened violently and he tried to stand, only for his hands to slip on the steep half liquefied-rock and send him plunging down into the magma.

Somehow his eyes were open, somehow he could see, though there wasn't much to see except the liquid fire running past his eyes, glowing yellow and red. His mouth was open, he could feel it in his mouth as if he was choking on thick pudding, but it didn't burn, it didn't enter into his throat. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears and in his head, he heard something else. The singing echoed in his mind again, his eyes slowly shutting as his body went lax. The heart seared and scorched, but it was different from the scorching of the solid rocks or gold. The fluid was like…as if he had slipped into a bath of hot lotions and oils, soothing, enveloping, comfortable, rejuvenating….

Then the fire was in his blood. He could feel it, every vein and artery was burning, pulsing flame through his being. He felt it surge from his heart and spread to his toes and fingertips.

Then the song, the ancient dragon's voice finally became clear, the meaning of its notes suddenly registered in his mind.

_The world's blood is its fire, so is the fire our blood_

On some instinct his arm shot out above him, feeling his hand meet the cooler air before it slammed into the rocky slope. He didn't question how he kept his grip until he had pulled himself out, onto the slab of stone, gasping for breath. He finally opened his eyes, staring at his hand, or rather, what looked like it was previously a hand. It was scaled over in bronze, the spots of magma remaining on it burning red and gold. His fingers ended in sharp claws which were dug securely into the rock. His eyes widened and he went to look at the rest of his body.

He was very much distracted before he could do so.

A lightning hot pain shot down his spine, every nerve catching fire as his veins had done before them. He opened his mouth to scream and a screech of agony escaped in its stead when his neck stretched, his tongue and jaw narrowing, lengthening with loud cracks of the bone reshaping itself. His face pushed out, the scaling thickening around the newly formed snout while at the other end his spine shot out, whipping around as muscle and scaling formed around it as well. His 'hands' remained stuck in the rock as his fingers thickened and shortened, the claws cracking the surrounding rock as they grew, curving deeper into the stone

His knees reversed, removing his ability to stand upright as his feet followed the same path as his hands, claws biting into the ground. Muscle rippled under the scaled hide, his legs, his 'arms', his neck, tail and body. His teeth lengthened and sharpened, new ones sprouting up to fill empty space even as the present teeth enlarged to many times their original size. Two lumps had built up under the hide on his back, burgeoning before they finally split open and a leathery wing snapped out from each. They stretched, the bones moving like the fingers on a hand, splaying out the thick canvas-like hide between each 'rib'.

Lloyd shrieked, collapsing onto his belly as his mouth hung open, gasping for air to fill his huge lungs. He could feel every muscle aching, feel them twitching his tail, feel them awkwardly fidgeting his wings, and feel them rippling in his legs as he tried to move, in his jaw. He could crush anything with the jaw, he could tell just by his feeble attempts at closing it. Staring numbly at nothing, he laid there, panting, his mind blank as his brain prioritized at attempting to gain control over his body.

Still he heard the singing.

_Sleep now, wyrmling_

So he did.

**Transformation scenes are just oh so fun, aren't they? 83**

…**So yeah**

…**That was fun**

…**You like? 83**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry I haven't been updating a lot…been…well been a lot going on lately. Still, hope you enjoy the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

He smelled something. It was a …new, smell, it smelled like- well he wasn't sure what it was. There were two of them, close to him. His tongue flicked out then back in, smelling..tasting? Smelling and tasting, the air…how strange, he didn't really know what that was. Still he smelled them and felt one nudge his head. They were talking, he didn't understand what they were saying. Slowly he pried his eyes open, blinking once or twice as he stared at the big clawed feet in front of him, and the smaller set to his side.

The large blue dragon lowered its head, looking at him. It said something, he couldn't understand what. The smaller one said something to the larger one, which answered it in the same strange language before turning to him again.

"You don't speak the old tongue?" it asked in a low, strong voice.

"I…"he frowned, trying to clear his head.

Old tongue? What tongue? What did he-wait, where was he? What happened? Everything seemed so blurry…

"Did he hit his head, Papa?" the little one squeaked. "Is he stupid now?"

The older dragon said something to the smaller one in the language he didn't understand, but knew enough from the tone to tell the adult was scolding the child. Once again the adult lowered his head to look at him, scanning him.

"Are you all right? Can you stand?"

He groaned, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. His head was throbbing…

"I- I'm…fine, I …think…" he murmured, not noticing how strange his mouth felt to speak.

He struggled to stand but found he couldn't quite get up, he was still on all fours- …wait…

"There you go," the dragon said. "You should soak a bit, the magma will help whatever wounds you have."

Magma… He frowned, turning his head, looking around. There was a smaller blue dragon to his side, looking up at him, his head cocked to the side curiously. There were others, many of them, dragons lounging about on rocks, many more sleeping or swimming in a huge lake of magma. He blinked once or twice, experiencing mixed feeling, one of shock and another that wondered why he was shocked.

"How did I….get here?" he asked.

"Papa and I found you down there," the child squeaked, turning his head to gesture down one large tunnel which was partially flooded with magma. "You looked hurt and wouldn't wake up."

He struggled to clear his head, trying to remember what had happened. Nothing would come, and he felt so tired… The heat, the heat was nice…he remembered that, and the large dragon said that it would help him, and he felt so sore…

"Go ahead and get into the lake," the large dragon said. "I shall get the Mother."

"Mother…?" he muttered, confused.

"…Just rest here, the Mother will be able to help you and my wyrmling will stay with you," he said.

"Yes Papa," the little one chirped.

The adult nodded and walked off, leaving him staring dumbly after him. Something nagged at him but he was distracted by the young dragon, who was tugging on his wing.

"Papa said to get in the lake," he said, looking up at him with large black eyes. "Go on, go on."

He hesitated a bit then slowly shuffled toward the edge of the 'lake'. The heat radiating from it already felt good, it already eased his aching muscles so nicely… He wanted to be in there. Yes, it would be so much better in there, it would help him. Quickly he slipped into the molten rock and let out a low sigh of contentment as the liquid heat seemed to sap away all the pain from his body. A low rumble of pleasure escaped his body as he set his head onto a nearby boulder, closing his eyes and allowing himself to drift off into sleep.

* * *

He wriggled his legs, pawing his feet against the wall. It was too small in here, not enough room to stretch out and uncurl his tail. He tried to make a sound but the squeak was muffled as he found he couldn't open his mouth. It was frustrating, it made him angry. He wanted to make sounds, to stretch out. With a determined jerk he knocked his jaw against the wall, trying to crack it.

It shuddered but it didn't crack and he gave another indignant muffled squeak. He pawed his front feet against the wall, feeling his claws scratch into the shell. It made his tail wriggle in delight at the minor progress, fueling him to continue scratching and butting at it. After what seemed like forever, he finally made a crack. He was near the point of exhaustion but the small crack urged him.

He renewed his assault at the shell with new vigor, wriggling his tail with excitement as it finally gave way. With a delighted squeak he pushed out his foreleg, clawing at the surrounding shell with his other claw. Out! Almost out! He wriggled, pushing himself at the hole, trying to open it more. It felt cold outside, but it was too hot in here, he'd feel better out there, he decided.

Finally he stressed the shell to its breaking point and it crumbled around him, sending him half sprawling onto his belly. He squeaked, shaking his head as he tried to get his legs under him, wriggling frantically. Out! He was out! His tongue flicked around with just as much vigor as his tail, taking in all the scents as he strained his eyes to register his surroundings.

No sooner had he gotten to his feet did he release a roar of triumph- or what he felt was a roar, in reality it sounded more akin to a kitten yowling. Still, he paid no mind to it, his wings fluttering as he raced around in small circles after his tail, delighted at the very motion, and the resulting dizziness.

He squeaked happily, then turned back to his shell's remains, expecting to see his mother laying there, to cuddle him and lick him clean. He whirled about happily then abruptly froze. There was no one there, nothing there, not even another egg. His giddiness vanished, his big eyes widening with a gut-wrenching fear. Alone. He was alone? Where was- was Mommy?

His little head whipped around, frantically, trying to detect any trace of his mother. Why was he alone? Where was she? A shuddering whimper rattled his body, tucking his tail to him as he began to make huffing sounds akin to sobbing. Why was he alone? He wasn't supposed to be alone. Where was Mommy? Why was he all alone?!

He heard a soft snuffing sound, above him. He craned his little head up on his neck, startled yet desperate to see someone else there. A dragon, a large russet dragon with big horns and a thick neck, a big mouth, with lots of sharp teeth. He whimpered, curling his tail and wings to his body. It wasn't his mommy, it was a male, a big male that could eat him up. It was going to eat him, he just knew it, was going to eat him up. The big scary dragon looked at him and then moved his head down, the little hatchling squeaking and scrambling back only to stumble over his own legs. A smile curled into the dragon's mouth as it gently began to nuzzle him. He stared a moment, blinking, trying to make sense of what was happening before it hit him. His eyes widened, tail wagging as he squeaked happily at the big dragon looking down at him.

Daddy.

* * *

A gust of hot breath beat against his face, making his eyelids flicker, but they did not open.

"Lloyd."

He groaned, trying to turn his head away from the voice.

"Lloyd, wake up."

He fidgeted and gave a large yawn, his jaw stretching out to reveal the enormous array of sharp teeth. With another shake of his head his eyes focused on the dragon before him-

Wait…this dragon…he was huge, just like the one-wait… it was the same dragon. It was the large russet dragon from his dream, from his hatching- wait, no it couldn't-? No…yes,yes it was. It was his father.

Wait…no…his father was….

He let out a loud squeak of surprise as the russet dragon simply bit down on a thick scaled 'scruff' of sorts at the base of his neck and lifted him out of the magma. His eyes widened, staring down, dangling like a newborn kitten from the dragon's jaws. Instinctively he curled up but then proceeded to wriggle, unsure if he was afraid or…or..

The dragon was carrying him away, away from the spot and he saw the other dragons look up, eying them as they moved by. The dragon carrying him was going fast, he was in a hurry for some reason-

Then a voice, speaking in the strange language from before. It was…different, from the others though. It was…softer, yet still somehow managed to be as strong. It was melodic, beautiful and mysterious, it sounded much like…like…the singing.

Yes, it sounded like the singing…

Whatever the voice said, it got the attention of the dragon holding him. It turned its head and by extension him, toward the source.

She was beautiful. He didn't know how he knew but he did, that the dragon before them was a she. She was large as well, but still smaller than the one holding him. At first he had thought her to be red, then realized the red and orange coloration was not from her scales, but the light from the magma. Her scales were…like diamonds, not exactly 'clear' but reflective, like millions of little mirrors, catching and altering the light that touched them. The diamond-scales almost seemed to move, as if every scale had a small flame inside that flicked and moved. She said something again, he didn't understand it, but the one holding him did, as he made move to leave.

"_Leuc phyllos tect malos, Kratos."_

The name struck him like a slap to the face.

Kratos.

Wait….she called the dragon carrying him…'Kratos'-

…Oh dear Martel.

**Heeeeeee…I love this fic, really I do. Dragons are awesome…I'm such a dork, lol**


	6. Chapter 6

…**Meh, my month has been..meh**

**Disclaimer: Own nothing**

Lloyd wriggled violently, attempting to free himself from the giant russet dragon.

"L- Let me go! Put me down!" he snapped.

Hearing the female called his captor 'Kratos' had snapped him back to his senses, realizing where he was, the situation he was in, and that he was no longer in his original body. Still, his priority at the moment was getting out of the dragon's jaws and then- well he didn't know what was going to happen then, but he had to do that first.

_"Galeen cinna phyllos sillis?" _

The diamond-female was eying him, her head tilted in amusement. Something about that look made him shiver, feeling his tail curl in instinctively which once again panicked him into trying to break free. He heard a low growl from the dragon holding him and then found himself set on the ground. Before Lloyd could do anything, the beast's giant tail wrapped around him, blocking his 'escape' attempt.

"L- let me go-!"

"Lloyd." The dragon said, lowering his head to him. "Listen to me. Calm down."

Lloyd stared, frozen, starring into the wine eyes of the russet beast, feeling cold suddenly as he met its gaze.

"D- Dad!?"

"I'll explain later, we need to leave-"

"Oh so he is yours after all, Kratos? When did you have a clutch? Why was I not informed?"

His eyes darted back to the female and he heard- no, not just heard, felt a low growl rumble from Kratos' chest, thrumming through the ground it was so loud.

"I was under no obligation to tell you when I had offspring," Kratos replied stiffly.

"Is he ill, Kratos? He's trembling."

She was looking at him and Lloyd stiffened, forcing himself to remain calm despite his confusion and panic. Her pale eyes scanned him like a piece of meat, appraisingly, and Lloyd felt his wings and tail curl up more on some new instinct.

"He injured his head, he doesn't know what's going on," Kratos snapped back tersely. "I'm taking him outside so I can calm him down, you're not aiding in that goal by chatting with me like this."

Before Lloyd could respond Kratos had snapped him up again, carrying him away from the diamond-dragon. He squeaked, wriggling helplessly in the large male's jaws.

"Dad! Put me down- where are we?! What's going on?! Why-"

A low growl met his ears and he clamped his mouth shut, curling up again as he directed his gaze to the ground. He could hear his pulse pounding in his ears, his body trembling as he slowly became aware of it. The long neck, the strange jaw, the four legs, the tail, the solid, leathery wings. The memory of his transformation repeated in his head as he frantically tried to make sense of what had happened, hearing the breathing of Kratos as he carried him off to a deserted, far side of the giant cavern.

"There," Kratos said as soon as he set him on the ground. "Now keep your voice down and I'll explain-"

"You're a dragon! You- I'm a dragon!" Lloyd half-shrieked, fumbling on his legs, his knees wobbling. "What's going on-"

Kratos glared at him, and while the Seraph's glare was usually sufficiently terrifying, becoming a giant reptile with sharp teeth and claws only added to the affect. Lloyd silenced, staring up at his father, taking him in.

He was massive; a large, russet-scaled dragon, with an impressive array of horns and an even more impressive wingspan. The leathery appendages were curled to his sides, the ground shuddering a bit as he stepped forward, the massive muscles curling and rippling beneath the scaly hide. If anything, if he could manage to stand on his back legs, he would be the same height as the type of 'dragons' they'd fought on their journey and he was still tiny compared to his massive father This was the kind of dragon, he knew suddenly, the old myths truly referred to. The body his father had was a creature of legends, a manifestation of power, a harbinger of fear that was told about festivals and campfires. It still didn't explain anything, however.

"Dad…" he began, hesitant, unsure even how he managed to speak with his new mouth.

Kratos sighed, sitting his back legs down on the ground, frowning down at him.

"This is how I knew you were becoming a dragon, Lloyd, I am one," he said flatly.

Before Lloyd could begin his barrage of questions and accusations, Kratos continued.

"Doubtless you're going to demand to know why I never took this form before then, especially given all the hazardous situations we've endured, correct?" Kratos frowned. "While I was serving as Origin's Seal my ability to take on this form was sealed as well. That's a simplified version of it, at any rate, it's a bit more complicated than that."

"I- I…" Lloyd shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around it all. "If you're a dragon then- why wasn't I one? I mean I am now but I wasn't before-…was I? I-…did I hatch?"

His father blinked once and then furrowed his brow, lowering his head closer to look at Lloyd.

"Why do you ask that, Lloyd?"

"I- earlier I…"

Lloyd frowned, feeling his body curl in on itself more in his confusion. Was that a dream earlier? It had to be, right, he hadn't hatched- right? Or had he? He was a dragon right now, wasn't he? But he was never one before- right? So was it just a weird dream or…

"I- this doesn't make any sense! Dad, answer me! How come I'm a dragon now but I wasn't before, if you're a dragon doesn't that mean I'm a half-dragon or something? Or was? I-"

"Lloyd, calm down," Kratos cut him off. "…Yes, your mother was human and for all purposes you were born a human and remained one until recently. Why it is only lately you've…become this, is likely to do with the return of the tree."

"…The tree? What the hell does the tree have to do with this?" he bristled, feeling his wings twitching, almost like a hand clenching and unclenching.

"Since the tree's germination there has been a massive influx of mana," Kratos explained with a frown. "Dragon eggs require two things to hatch, heat, and mana. The heat is easily provided, as you can see, we're in the midst of a magma chamber. As for the mana, since the tree wilted dragons have had to transfer some of their own body's magma to their eggs in order to get them to hatch. A bit exhausting and a much more time-consuming process, but they have made due."

"That still doesn't explain what happened to me!" Lloyd snapped, quite literally, a little thrown off by the clacking sound his teeth made.

"I would imagine it's the same concept," Kratos frowned. "You had been exposed to the mana at the tree and Derris-Kharlan and that initiated the process, then when you were exposed to the heat at that dragon's den, it began to complete the awakening of your…well, dragonic traits."

Lloyd stared up at Kratos along moment, the wheels in his heard churning as he tried to make sense of what he had said. Science wasn't exactly his strong point, neither was magic, or mana, so he was practically lost on everything his father had just said.

"So…mana and heat turned me into a dragon?" he surmised, completely confused.

"To put it simply, yes."

It took Lloyd a couple of moments for the facts to sink in, staring up at his father. Finally he opened his mouth, meaning to say something though he couldn't quite remember what it was, seeing as he dissolved into panic.

"How can you he so calm about this?! I just turned into a dragon- a little one even! Why are you so much bigger?! Where are we?! How do I change back?!"

He paid no heed to the loud squeaks he mad and that he sounded much like a frightened kitten mewling for its mother. Kratos shook his head and then slammed his tail down in front of Lloyd, startling him out of his panic, staring up at the russet drake. Lloyd's chest puffed in and out rapidly, his eye wide whereas his wings twitched in distress.

"Lloyd," Kratos said slowly. "Calm down. You know panicking will not help you or change the situation at all. Take a few deep breathes, calm yourself, then ask what you want to ask."

Lloyd scoffed a bit, abashed at being treated like a child. Still he closed his eyes, forcing himself to take deep breathes and to ignore the way it made him more aware of his strange mouth and the large lungs inside his foreign chest.

"…How do I turn back? You could do that, so I can too, right? You said dragons can take a human form so…so just teach me how to do that."

"Do you think that will solve things?" Kratos replied.

"What? Of course it-…"

Lloyd frowned, scanning Kratos, then his own two red feet, his eyes drifting over the pool of magma at the dragons lounging about in and out of the pool.

"This isn't something I can ignore is it?" he finally said, his voice soft.

"I did not think you would, no."

Lloyd felt dizzy suddenly, his back legs giving out and he found himself in a strange sitting position. This was all too much- no, no; he shook his head. Yeah it was a lot, but he'd taken bigger shocks before, right? Basically every time he'd gone by the Tower of Salvation it seemed like reality had been shattered. Then again, whenever that happened there had been…stuff to do, a goal, a plan, no time to think about things before there was something else to deal with. Now here, with all the time in the world, he was at a complete loss for what to do.

Thankfully, a distraction occurred in the form of a loud growl coming from his stomach. He twitched, his tail reflexively curling around his body in embarrassment. Kratos frowned. Lloyd fidgeted, noticing Kratos' look and huffed in response.

"What? I don't even remember the last time I ate…"

He frowned more at that, realizing it was true. When had he last eaten? What had he last eaten? He couldn't even remember, and he was hungry. Ravenously so, actually; his stomach felt like it was dissolving itself, aching with emptiness. How did he not realize it before? He was starving. His head jerked about, his nostrils flaring, a flood of scents dizzying him. None of it smelled like food though- or was it? He did smell…stuff…weird stuff.

Kratos sighed, turning from him.

"Stay here, don't move and don't talk to anyone. I'll fetch you something quickly and then we'll head out of here."

"Huh?" Lloyd responded, unfocused.

He was too distracted, all the smells, the sounds…and his stomach. There was…food, around here somewhere. He didn't know what it was but it was food; he wanted it. Where could it be?

"Lloyd. Stay here. Understand? Stay here."

"Yeah…" he said, dazed, nodding. "I'll...stay here."

He wasn't sure just how he'd be able to walk at any rate. Lloyd was only barely aware of Kratos walking away, toward the main chamber as he sat there, overwhelmed, trying to pick apart all the scents while his tongue flicked in an out.

There were…many dragons, lots of dragons, mostly male, though he wasn't sure how he knew that. There were some females, some little ones, there was heat and scorching rock and…wait. That scent, that female, the diamond one from earlier. He sniffed again, his eyes closed. She smelled good, he hadn't noticed before and he wasn't sure how he knew it was her, but he was certain. Something about her….

"Hello."

His eyes snapped open, staring up, way up at the speaker. It was her again, craning her neck down to look at him, her eyes a rich blue tone. Something about her felt…safe, like how he would feel toward his mother. She felt nurturing, gentle, protective…

"You don't know how to speak the old tongue, yes? Tell me then, what is your name?"

"…Lloyd," he answered, blinking up at her.

"You are Kratos' child, yes?"

"Yes."

"I thought so, you look much like him," she smiled.

A strange purring sound met his ears, rumbling from her feet through the ground, vibrating in his bones. Something about her voice was…it was…why couldn't he place it? It was-

His heart stopped.

She was the voice, the singing, the words. She was the one that sang to him, called him in those dreams he was having.

"Who…are you?" he asked, his eyes widening just a bit.

She laughed a bit, a strange yet musical sound.

"I am the Mother," she answered.

Somehow he didn't feel quite so safe anymore.

**Please review, it cheers me up**


	7. Chapter 7

**Well here's the next chapter, yay**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing **

Lloyd backed up a bit, eying her with his neck craned up to observe the vibrant female. There was a low rumbling that at first Lloyd thought to be a growl before realizing it was in fact, a purr. She was purring, her head tilted just slightly, scanning him as she lowered her head before him.

"Strong young wyrmling aren't you? A lot like your father was at this age..what are you, twelve?"

That statement struck enough of a cord.

"Wh-? No!" he huffed, puffing his chest up. "I am not twelve years old!"

She opened her mouth wide and let out choppy, shrieking sounds. Lloyd jerked and nearly tumbled over his own legs in his attempt to flee from her. Then he realized she was in fact, _laughing_ at him.

"Twelve years old? Oh you are a funny one aren't you? If you were twelve your mother would still be tending to you in your nest," she said with an odd reptilian smile, purring. "No dear I meant twelve thousand, I did not think I had to specify that…though Kratos did say you hurt your head. Are you well?"

Lloyd stared at her. Twelve..thousand? What? Was she joking? There was no way- wait, how long did dragons live? They couldn't really be that old though, could they? That was crazy, even from the things he'd seen it was completely nuts.

"Your name was Lloyd, yes?" she asked, tilting her head to examine him. "Odd, rather human name…"

"I-" he began only to be interrupted by a loud gurgle from his stomach.

"Oh poor thing…" her tail swished behind her. "You are hungry. Has your father gone to fetch you sustenance?"

"I- yeah, he said he'll be right back," Lloyd said.

He felt light-headed and his stomach felt like it was dissolving itself. It was so nice and warm in here, too, he was beginning to feel sleepy. The former swordsman was so dazed he didn't notice when the dragon had curled her tail around him, pulling him to her. Lloyd looked up at her with glazed eyes as she purred, curling around him like a mother cat.

"Are you sleepy, little one? Shhh…it's all right then, take a nap, sleep until your father brings food for you, I will protect you."

He instinctively wriggled in an attempt to escape her, struggling against her scaled hide. The boy let out a shout of protest that came out more like a squeak and jerked his wings in panic. Then…she began to sing.

He stopped, frozen, staring off into space as the notes met his ears- not just hearing, he was feeling, feeling the vibrations of her song through her body into his own, thrumming in his bones. The same voice, the same song, the one that had been calling to him this whole time, since it all started. His heart began to beat faster yet still he found himself becoming more and more tired, his eyelids drooping. It was warm, curled up in her scales. Nice and cozy, safe, like he was being hugged…

"That's right, Lloyd," her voice cooed, gentle and soft. "Just take a nap…"

Lloyd yawned, his jaw stretched wide revealing his array of sharp teeth. His eyelids drooped closed finally and he curled up, snug into the spot she had formed around him with her tail. In the back of his mind he just barely thought to himself that he should get away from her, but he just felt so tired, and it was so comfy…

"Get away from him!"

The song stopped and the cave shook around him, jerking Lloyd from his daze, startled. He let out a sound of surprise that sounded embarrassingly like a squeak and didn't even get to get his bearings before he was plucked from the female by the ridge around his neck, dangling from Kratos' mouth again, feeling the vibrations from the large male's growling surging through his body.

"D- Dad-?!" Lloyd blurted, wriggling in his grip.

The diamond female regarded Kratos with narrowed eyes, smoothly slipping back onto all fours, her wings giving a sharp jerk before settling against her sides once more.

"What are you angry about, Kratos? I was caring for him while you were elsewhere."

"It's not your place to care for him," Kratos responded with a low growl.

"Of course it is, it is my place to care for all the young," she said, tilting her head a bit as if amused. "I am the Mother, it is my duty to care for the wrymlings and see to it they are properly brought up."

"Well you are not necessary," he snapped through his closed jaw. "I am his father, I will care for him-"

"What of his mother then, hm? Obviously she is not doing a proper job of raising him if he is so out of touch, that is not your fault though, but I would expect you to be picking up some of the slack in that situation, Kratos-"

Lloyd ducked his head as two plumes of black smoke shot from Kratos' nostrils with a shrieking hissing sound, sparks cracking. It didn't take much more than that to realize that Kratos was angry, especially given what had just been said about his wife.

"My mate is deceased," Kratos said flatly. "And you dishonor her memory with your insults."

The diamond dragon appeared to be surprised and a bit shamed for just a moment before she turned her mouth down in a frown, brow furrowed.

"I see…no wonder you are having trouble with your wyrmling, I misunderstood, I apologize."

"I am not having 'trouble' with him, he is fine and we don't need your 'help'."

With that Kratos turned on tail, blatantly ignoring the female as he walked off to another more isolated part of the cavern. Lloyd dangled from his father's grip, frowning, trying to make sense of it all when he caught the scent of…he wasn't sure, but it was food.

The bronze little dragon blinked, sniffing the air, tongue flicking as he desperately tried to locate the source of the good smell. To his delighted, when he located it he realized Kratos was carrying him to it. There was a pile on the ground of some weird…squishy looking meat, he didn't know what it was, but it smelled wonderful. Kratos set him on the ground before it and Lloyd didn't even think about it, launching at the pile and digging his new set of sharp teeth into one of the large glob-like hunks of meat.

It was delicious, he had never tasted anything like it. It was weird, it kind of felt like jelly, squiggly, a bit slimy, but his teeth went in smooth and hooked firmly into the tissue. He tore off large chunks at a time, swallowing them whole before attacking the meat again for yet another mouthful of meat. Whatever it was, it tasted wonderful, like pork ribs glazed with honey.

There were only a couple bones, they were weirdly colored though. They were shiny almost, like they were made of metal. He gnawed on them curiously, finding his teeth would barely dent them. They even tasted metallic, what had metallic bones? He-

…Wait..

Lloyd blinked, staring at the bone he was currently gnawing on. Slowly he processed what he was seeing, the dents from his teeth in the bone, the smell of the fluids plastered over his snout from his meal, the weird taste in his mouth and the full feeling in his belly.

What…what had he just eaten? Lloyd drew back, jaw clenched tight as he stared at the remains, embarrassed.

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Lloyd," Kratos spoke up. "That's how dragons eat."

"I- but-" Lloyd shook his head, stumbling on all four feet to turn to look at his father.

He was laying there, massive tail curled partly around his body, his head seemed so far away, up on the monstrous trunk of a neck. Lloyd suppressed a whimper that came out of nowhere, trying to escape his body. He felt so freaking small…

"Dad what did I just eat? Why did I get like that? Why-"

"Hush," Kratos frowned, turning his head to survey their surroundings. "…Keep your voice down, she's still watching us."

"She-? That dragon lady? Why is she watching us- what's her deal? Why was she acting like that to me? How do you know here? What's-"

Kratos sighed deeply, even that seemed to be a large, deep sound to the now young dragon. The russet drake frowned, lowering his head to Lloyd's.

"I understand you have questions, but I can't answer them here, we need to leave. We can't until she does though..she'll follow us otherwise."

"But who is she-?"

"I just told you I can't tell you here," Kratos cut him off quickly, his voice hushed. "Later, until then just stay by me and try not to draw any attention to yourself."

Lloyd fidgeted, his tail curling around his legs. The young male frowned, blinking once or twice before looking at the scaly appendage. He hadn't even really taken the time to look over himself, what with all the chaos and the creepy dragon and…well, everything. There was so much on his mind, but he knew he wouldn't' get any answers just yet. Well…he'd just look himself over then, he was already staring at his tail. It was bronze, not a dull bronze though, it was a bright, bold metallic shade, catching the red light from the magma just like the diamond dragon's scales, making his scales look as if they were on fire. It was pretty cool, actually, if not for the fact it was on his own body.

He flicked the tail back and forth a bit, moving it around, figuring out how much control he had over it. It was kind of like a cat's in terms of how he could move it, it was flexible enough but he couldn't control it really finely. Lloyd look at his feet, or forepaws, claws, whatever, he wasn't sure how to call them. They too were scaled bronze, like the rest of his body, with four big toes and one smaller one on the side of each foot. The tips of his toes ended in large, sharp talons which dug into the ground. He experimented with them a bit, finding he could retract and extend them to a degree, pulling them in and out of the ground. His eyes widened in surprise when he managed to pull his toes apart, finding there was some kind of…webbing, between them. Not like the kind of webbing he'd expect from a duck or the like, it didn't look like it'd be good for swimming. The 'webbing' was more like leather instead of scales and it wasn't strung tightly, the middle sagged and the ends near the tip of his toes was pulled up, it looked more like-…a pouch.

Yeah, a pouch, didn't he see that before? When that green dragon had chased him, at the start of all this, Kratos had put some gold into a pouch between the dragon's toes. So they were like…pockets? That was a weird though, dragons had pockets…then again that was probably the least weird thing happening to him at the moment. He turned his attention to his side, at the wing folded to his side. Well that shouldn't be too much of an adjustment, right? He had wings before…given they were made of mana and structured more like a bird's, but-…

He tried to open the wing, to splay it, but succeeded in only making it jerk a bit before going limp.

Lloyd frowned, frustrated and attempted it again only to have the same success. For a while he tried to open up his wing, it was much harder than he thought it would be. Then again, his angelic wings didn't 'fold' like this- or did they? Really he had never tried, he just dismissed them when he wasn't using them…he'd have to try that some time, assuming he was ever back in his real body- but he had to be able to do that, right? Kratos had been going around in a human- er, angel- whatever, humanoid form, so he should be able to. Besides, he had said earlier that dragons could take a human form like that, so either way he should be able to get his normal body back. He sighed a bit and looked around, surveying the cavern and spotting the diamond dragon, her eyes locking with his. A cold chill ran down his spine and he quickly looked away, his tail curling tightly around his legs.

What was she? Were all dragons like that? Did they all sing the same, was that why he thought her singing had been like the one in his head? Did they all hear songs in their head? Was that 'normal'?

Or hell, maybe he was just totally insane.

**It's dooooonnneeeee..yay ****  
Hope you liked! Review pleeeasssee….**


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